Principal Emerging Experience Designer (UX) Job at The Walt Disney Company (Fran

Overview “We Power the Magic!” That’s our motto at Disney Experiences Technology (DXT). Our team creates world-class immersive digital experiences for the Company’s premier vacation brands including Disney’s Parks & Resorts worldwide, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, and Disney Vacation Club.

The Principal Emerging Experience Designer (UX) will lead user experience design at the intersection of creative strategy and emerging technologies including AI, conversational interfaces, and more. This role will drive next-generation experience design innovation to meet rapidly evolving customer expectations through delightful and cutting-edge design that amplifies the Disney brand and business.

Reporting to the VP, Emerging Technology & Product, DX Technology, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams including Emerging Product, Emerging Technology Labs, Emerging Technology Initial Technology Implementation (ITI), Product Design & Creative, Program Management, Engineering, Marketing, Operations, and partners across Disney to design useful, frictionless, and innovative experiences through experimentation and measurable value creation.

Responsibilities Strategic Leadership : Define and lead the future user experience strategy by leveraging research on emerging trends to anticipate shifts in user behavior.

Design Discovery : Accelerate experience design for prioritized ETP initiatives, advancing next generation interaction models through rapid concept iteration and user testing, in parallel with technical development.

Alignment & Prioritization : Ensure that all work is rigorously prioritized and aligned with the approved quarterly Emerging Product opportunity map, and that practical, user-centric approaches, rooted in human-centered design standards and best practices are consistently followed.

Cross-Team Collaboration : Collaborate across DX teams to deliver versatile solutions leveraging design systems that are scalable, consistent, and efficient.

Innovation Testing : Drive strategic testing strategy to explore and validate emerging interaction and design models.

Lab & MVP Development : Collaborate with EmTech Labs and ITI to test, validate, and refine proof-of-concept experiences and initial use cases.

Operational Feasibility : Collaborate with Product and Ops to ensure experiences are designed with implementation feasibility and cost efficiency in mind.

Workflow Optimization : Optimize design workflows using automation, generative AI, and low-code tools.

Impact Communication : Effectively communicate the ROI of design innovation initiatives through metrics, storytelling, and user research.

Qualifications 10+ years of experience in UX / product design, creative direction, or innovation leadership roles.

Demonstrated experience in shipping digital products powered by AI, AR / VR, computer vision, 3D environments, and conversational interfaces.

Strong understanding of design systems, agile development, technical implementation, and full product lifecycle.

Experience building productive relationships with cross-functional teams in product-driven or tech-forward organizations.

Proficiency with tools like Figma, Unity, Unreal Engine, generative AI platforms (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, etc.) and prototyping software.

Strong business acumen and ability to balance creativity with operational and financial constraints.

Exceptional storytelling, leadership, and stakeholder influence skills.

Experience in sectors undergoing rapid digital transformation (e.g. retail, entertainment, media, healthcare, financial services).

Background in human-computer interaction (HCI), cognitive science, or emerging tech R&D.

Education Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Preferred Education Master’s degree or equivalent experience

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The hiring range for this position in CA is $184,300.00 to $247,100.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and / or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and / or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

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